Maternity Guidelines

Welcome to our guidelines library, if you have any questions please speak to your Community Midwife at your next appointment.

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Maternity Abbreviations & Definitions

A

AC: Abdominal Circumference

Active Labour: Active labour, also known as established labour, refers to the period of labour where you are having regular, powerful surges/contractions that are opening the cervix at a regular rate. If you think that you are in labour call the Call A Midwife Advice Line

A/F: Artificial Feeding - i.e Formula Feeding

Antenatal: Antenatal means before (ante) birth or during pregnancy.

APH: Antepartum Haemorrhage

ARM: Artificial Rupture/Release of Membranes is the term used to describe when the Membranes (sac) surrounding the amniotic fluid (waters) is released/broken by a clinician such as a midwife or obstetrician.

Assisted Birth/Delivery: An assisted birth refers to a baby who has birthed with the aid of instruments such as a Ventouse (suction) cup or with Forceps.

B

BD: Twice a day

B/F: Breast Feeding

The Bishop Score: The Bishops score is a way of recording subtle changes in your cervix and the position of your baby at the end of pregnancy, in early labour and during an Induction of labour

BM: "Boehringer Mannheim" Blood Sugar Measurement

BP: Blood Pressure

BRAIN Mnemonic: The BRAIN mnemonic is a simple way of collecting and organising information to make informed decisions about your care.

Breech: This means that the baby is positioned with their bottom down towards your cervix

The Modified Burville score: The Burvill score is a way of assessing if someone is in active labour from external signs such as breathing pattern, movement and vocalisations.

C

Caesarean birth: A Caesarean birth refers to a baby who had been born via an operation called a Caesarean section. This is sometimes also known as a C Section, Abdominal birth or belly birth

CAMAL: Call A Midwife Advice Line

CCT: Controlled Cord Traction

CTG: Cardio-toco-graph is a form of baby heartrate monitoring. CTG’s monitor the baby’s heartbeat (cardio) and any uterine activity, such as contractions (toco), and record the patterns on to a readable graph.

D

DVT: Deep Vein Thrombosis Deep Vein Thrombosis refers to a blood clot developing in the deep veins of the leg.

E

EDD - Estimated Date of Delivery This is an estimate of when your baby may be born and is used to calculate how pregnant you are (how many weeks).

EFW: Estimated Fetal Weight

F

FBC: Full blood count. The full blood count is one of the blood tests you will be offered in pregnancy.

FSE: A Fetal Scalp Electrode picks up the baby’s heartbeat directly by a clipping on to the baby’s scalp and sending the information through a wire that connects to the monitor directly.

FGR: Fetal Growth Restriction

FGM: Female Genital Mutilation

FHHR: Fetal Heart Heard Regular - Normal baby heart beat heard by midwife/doctor

FMF: Fetal Movements Felt (felt by pregnant parent)

G

GBS: Group B Strep is a bacterium (Group B Streptococcus) that lived in the bodies of 40% of people, usually in the vagina or rectum, as part of their normal bacteria. It can sometimes pass to the baby and cause illness.

GDM: Gestational Diabetes Mellitis
GTT: Glucose Tolerance Test. The GTT is a test that is performed to determine if someone has diabetes.

H

HELLP: Hemolysis Elevated Liver Enzymes and Low Platlets

I

IA: Intermittent Auscultation is the process of listening to that baby’s heartbeat periodically during labour, usually with a handheld monitor, rather than continuously using a CTG machine.

IM: IntraMuscular - something given in to the muscle i.e. an intramuscular injection

IOL: Induction of Labour refers to the process of starting labour artificially rather than waiting for labour to start by itself

Intrapartum: Intrapartum means during labour and birth

IV: IntraVenous - Something given in to the vein

IUGR: Interuterine Growth Restriction

J

K

L

Latent Phase/Labour : The latent phase also known as early labour refers to the start of labour when your labour hormones and surges/contractions are starting to build up but are not yet regular. If you think you are in labour call the Call A Midwife Advice Line

LGA: Large for Gestational Age

LFTs: Live Function (blood) Tests

LMP: Last Menstrual Period (first day of bleeding)

LOA: Left Occiput Anterior. This means that your baby is lying head down with their back on your left side towards the front of your tummy.

LSA: Left Sacral Anterior. This means that your baby is lying bottom first with their back on your left side towards the front of your tummy.

M

Membrane Sweep: A Membranes sweep is type of vaginal examination that includes sweeping a finger between the cervix and the membranes (the amniotic sac) with the aim of stimulating Prostaglandins.

Multip: Multip is short for Multigravida (has been pregnant before) or Multiparous (has birthed before).

N

NBBS:Newborn Blood Spot Screening Test is part of the national screening program and is offered to all babies in the UK on day 5.

NICE: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is an independent organisation developed to reduce variations in the availability and quality of care, what is sometimes referred to as the postcode lottery.

NIPE: Newborn & Infant Physical Examination

O

OC/ IHCP: Obstetric Cholestasis/Intra Hepatic Choleostasis of Pregnancy

OD: Once a day

P

PALS: Patient Advice and Liaison Service

PCA: Patient Controlled Analgesia

Percentile: Percentiles or Centiles are used in Maternity to monitor growth of your baby before and after birth. They visually represent the growth of your baby compared to other babies of the same age/gestation.

PIBE: Programmed Intermittent Bolus Epidural

PIH/PET: Pregnancy Induced Hypertension/Pre Eclampsia

PIL: Patient Information Leaflet

PO: Per Oral- something given by mouth

Postnatal/Post-Partum: Postnatal or Postpartum refers to the period after (post) you have given birth.

PPH: Post Partum Haemorrhage

PPROM: Pre Term Pre Labour Release/Rupture Of Membranes. If you think your waters have releases call the Call A Midwife Advice Line

Primip: Primp is short for primigravida( 1^st pregnancy) or Primiparous (first birth).

PROM: Pre Labour Release/Rupture Of Membranes. If you think your waters have releases call the Call A Midwife Advice Line

Q

QDS: Four times a day

R

RFM: Reduced Fetal Movements

S

SFH- Symphysis Fundal Height. Symphysis Fundal Height is one of the checks that is undertake during an abdominal palpation (where the midwife or doctor feels your tummy)

SGA: Small for Gestational Age (Fetal Growth Restriction)

SROM: Spontaneous Rupture/Release Of Membranes is the term used to describe that your waters have released by themselves. If you think your waters have released contact the Call a Midwife Advice Line

Stat: Immediatley

SVD: Spontaneous Vertex/Vaginal Delivery refers to a baby in a head down position (vertex) that has birthed via the vaginal without any assistance (spontaneous). This is sometimes also referred to as a “normal” or “physiological” birth

T

TDS: Three times a day

TEDS: Thrombo-Embolic Deterrent Stockings

TENS: stand for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. A TENS machine is a device that can be used from early labour to help you cope with your contractions/ surges sensations.

Triage: Triage is the term used to determine how urgently someone needs to be seen/treated and the best location for this assessment or treatment to take place.

TVS: Trans Vaginal Scan- An Ultrasound Scan Performed via a slim scanner placed in the vagina

TWOC: Trial Without Catheter